Open AccessOccurrence and activity of anammox bacteria in surface sediments of the southern N orth S ea
Author(s) -
Bale Nicole J.,
Villanueva Laura,
Fan Haoxin,
Stal Lucas J.,
Hopmans Ellen C.,
Schouten Stefan,
Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12338
Subject(s) - anammox , bacteria , biology , sediment , 16s ribosomal rna , environmental chemistry , ecology , denitrification , nitrogen , chemistry , denitrifying bacteria , paleontology , organic chemistry
We investigated the occurrence and activity of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) bacteria in sandy and muddy sand sediments of the southern North Sea. The presence of anammox bacteria was established through the detection of specific phosphocholine‐monoether ladderane lipids, 16 S r RNA gene, and hydrazine synthase ( hzs A) genes. Anammox activity was measured in intact sediment cores ( in situ rate) and in sediment slurries (potential rate) as the rate of N 2 evolution from 15 N ‐labeled substrates and compared to the transcriptional activity of genes of anammox bacteria. The contribution of anammox to N 2 production ranged between 0% and 29%. The potential rate of anammox agreed well with the abundance of anammox bacteria 16S r RNA and hzs A gene copies and the transcriptional activity of the anammox bacteria 16S r RNA gene. We found a higher abundance and activity of anammox bacteria in sediments with higher organic carbon content and also higher activity in summer than in winter. The abundance of anammox bacteria and their potential anammox rates were similar to those reported for other marine coastal sediments, suggesting that potentially they are important contributors to the nitrogen cycle in sandy sediments of shallow continental shelf areas.